CONTENTS

All passengers on board a boat that set sail from Cyprus on Monday for
Gaza are well.

Head of the delegation of Volunteer Doctors Cyprus, former Doctors of
the World Cyprus, Democratic Rally MP Eleni Theocharous told CNA on
Tuesday morning that ``we are all well`` on board the boat, reported to
be hit by the Israelis.

It was not possible to obtain more details, due to an interruption in
the telephone connection.

The boat carrying medical aid to Gaza ``was hit on its left side`` by
the Israelis, Katia Christodoulou, CNA photographer and member of the
delegation, told CNA on Tuesday morning.

``The boat was hit on its left side. There is a problem with the fuel.
We are trying to head to Lebanon, to Sidon. We are fine,`` she said.

Christodoulou added that there are three or four Israeli warships in
the area and that ``we were hit in international waters.``

``They are trying to turn us round to return. We do not see this
happening. We are probably going to Lebanon. We are all alright,`` she
said.

For the time being there are no means of communication through mobile
telephony to or from the passengers on board the boat and the
communication with CNA was achieved through an international television
channel satellite connection.

President of the Republic of Cyprus Demetris Christofias expressed hope
on Monday that all remains of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot missing
persons would be identified in 2009, noting that this was owed to the
families of missing persons from both communities.

Speaking after a visit to the laboratory of the Committee on Missing
Persons in Cyprus (CMP), President Christofias said that the procedure
carried out at the laboratory was ``a positive and important step to
ease, to the extent possible, the ordeal of the families,`` noting that
what is left is to determine the causes.

President Christofias, who was accompanied by Presidential Commissioner
George Iacovou, met with Greek Cypriot member of the CMP Elias
Georgiades and the third member Christof Jirod. Turkish Cypriot member
Gulden Plumer Kutsuk is abroad.

The President thanked the three members of the CMP, as well as the
scientific and other staff of the laboratory, and praised them for
their strength to carry out their mission. He also expressed gratitude
to the chief of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).

President Christofias assured that the government would continue to
contribute to the work of the CMP and would be donating an additional
sum of 150,000 euros on Tuesday.

Recent landmine-related accidents in Cyprus are a tragic reminder of
the need to continue de-mining efforts in the buffer zone, just as
their funding risks are running out, the head of the Mine Action Centre
Cyprus (MAC) said today. ``Landmines continue to maim and can kill in
Cyprus, almost 35 years after they were first laid``, said Michael
Raine, Programme Manager of the MAC.

``Much progress has been made, but the three accidents in December
serve as a tragic reminder that de-mining work is not done``, he added,
according to an UNFICYP press release.

The first accident, on 5 December, involved a group of seven people
believed to have crossed from the northern Turkish occupied part of the
island. A man stepped on a landmine that blew off part of his right
foot. Fragments from the explosion injured his four-year-old son, his
wife and one other child. The second accident involved an experienced
de-miner whose right hand was seriously injured when a small
anti-personnel mine he was attempting to excavate close to Skouriotissa
village exploded. The third accident involved a family of three and
occurred on 20 December. The location of this accident is not known,
although the family was believed to be attempting to cross from the
north. A man stepped on a landmine and lost his right foot.

Raine recalled that thanks to de-mining work, through 2008 over 6
million square meters of land have been returned to productive use and
9163 land mines cleared (5,666 anti-personnel and 3,497 anti-tank). The
task of delivering a mine-free buffer zone is 80 per cent complete.
However, he underlined that the work risks coming to a halt at the end
of January 2009 if more funding is not found soon.